Computer Terminology

Access time - Hard drive or another’s storage device’s performance and how long it takes to locate files.

Application - A software or any program.

ASCII (pronounced ask-key) - American Standard Code for Information Interchange. The common data format for information exchange between computers or programs.

Background – The computer’s multitasking capability where a program can run and perform tasks in the background while the computer user uses another in the foreground.

Bit - Derived from the term "binary digit" and is the smallest piece of information on a computer.

Backup - Copy of a file, disk or program for archiving or safety.

Boot – The start up of a computer.

Bug – An error in programming that causes problems and errors in programs, or computer running processes.

Bus - Electronic pathway through which data is transmitted between components in a computer.

Byte - A piece of computer information made up of eight bits.

Card - Printed circuit board that adds some feature or component to a computer.

Cartridge drive – One of several storage devices that uses the cartridge as a medium and is removable.

CD-ROM – Stands for Compact Disc Read-Only Memory and is a drive which reads CD disks.

Clipboard - A portion of memory where temporary copied filed are stored and then pasted onto other documents.

Clock Rate (MHz) - The processing speed of a computer that is measured in millions of cycles per second, for example 400 MHz).

Command – An instruction given to a computer by menu choice or keystroke.

Compiler - a program the converts programming code into a form that can be used by a computer.

Compression - A technique that reduces the size of a certain file by elimination or encoding redundancies, usually helpful for large files such as picture files, like, JPEG, MPEG, etc.

Control panel – The main area where administrative settings are changed on a computer, like hardware uploads, system settings, display, etc.

CPU - Central Processing Unit. The main processing chip of the computer, often to referred to as the "brains” of the computer.

Crash – A computer malfunction, which causes the computer to stop working and requires a restart.

Cursor - The pointer, which is controlled by the mouse.

Database - Electronic list of information that can be sorted, searched and archived.

Data – All the information processed by a computer.

Defragment – The process of improving a computer’s performance by concentrating fragments of data into contiguous blocks in the memory or on a hard drive.

Desktop – A traditional computer system, that sits on a “desktop.”

Dialog box - an on-screen message box that appears to give pertinent instructions to the computer user.

Disk - a spinning platter made of magnetic or optically etched material on which data can be stored.

Disk drive - The machinery that writes the data from a disk and/or writes data to a disk.

Document - a file you create, as opposed to the application, which created it.

DOS – Stands for Disk Operating System - used in IBM PCs.

Download - to transfer data from one computer to another.

Driver - A file on a computer, which tells it how to communicate with an add-on piece of equipment, such as a printer.

Ethernet – A port, which is a protocol for fast communication and file transfer across a network.

Expansion slot - a connector inside the computer which allows one to plug in a printed circuit board that provides new or enhanced features,

used for upgrades such as memory, storage devices, such as CD-RW drives and more.

File - the generic word for an application, document, control panel or other computer data.

Floppy Disk/Floppy Drive – The floppy disk is a 3.5-inch square rigid disk, which holds data, and the drive is necessary for the uses of floppy disks. .

Folder – Electronic subdirectory that contains files.

Font - Typeface that contains the characters of an alphabet or some other letterforms used to display language on the computer.

Footprint - The surface area of a desk or table, which is occupied by a piece of equipment.

Gig - a gigabyte = 1024 megabytes.

Hard drive - a large capacity storage device made of multiple disks housed in a rigid case.

Icon – A graphic symbol for an application, file or folder.

Installer - Software used to install a program on your hard drive.

K - Short for kilobyte.

Keyboard shortcut - A combination of keystrokes that performs some

computer function otherwise found in a pull down menu.

Kilobyte - 1024 bytes.

Landscape - in printing from a computer, to print sideways on the page.

Launch - Start an application or a computer program.

Measurements -
a bit = one binary digit (1 or 0) *"bit" is derived from the contraction bit (binary digit) -> 8 bits = one byte
1024 bytes = one kilobyte
K = kilobyte
Kb = kilobit
MB = megabyte
Mb = megabit
MB/s = megabytes per second
Mb/s = megabits per second
bps = bits per second

MB - Short for megabyte, which is 1024 kilobytes.

Megabyte - 1024 kilobytes.

Memory - RAM - the temporary holding area where data is stored while it is being used or changed on the computer, stands for Random Access Memory, a low amount of which will cause the computer to drag and slow down and perform poorly.

Monitor – The screen display of a computer comes in two types, the older CRT and the new LCD flat screens.

Menu – A list of program commands listed by topic.

Multi tasking - Running more than one application in memory at the same time.

Operating system - System software that controls the computer, such as Mac and Windows.

Optical disk - High-capacity storage medium that is read by a laser light.

Optical Drive – Optical drives retrieve and/or store data on optical discs like CDs and DVDs which hold much more information than classic portable media options like the floppy disk, also known as, CD drive, DVD drive, disc drive and the new Blu Ray drive.

Partition - A subdivision of a hard drives surface that is defined and used as a separate drive.

Paste - to insert text, or other material, from the clipboard or after it is copied using the “copy command”

PC - Acronym for personal computers, commonly used to refer to Windows computers while Mac is referred to Apple models of computers.

PCI - Peripheral Component Interchange - the newer, faster bus architecture.

Peripheral – Includes any add-on component to a computer, such as a printer.

Pop-up menu - any menu that does not appear at the top of the screen in the menu bar.

Port - Connection socket, used to attach peripherals, such as printers, keyboards, mice and other computer peripheral components.

Power PC - Processing chip designed by Apple, IBM and Motorola (RISC based).

Power Mac - a family of Macs built around the PowerPC chip.

Print Spooler/Queu - A program that stores documents to be printed on the hard drive, thereby freeing the memory up and allowing other functions to be performed while printing goes on in the background.

RAM - acronym for Random-Access Memory.

Reset switch - a switch on any computer that allows the user to restart

the system at any time, and especially in the event of a crash.

RISC - Acronym for Reduced Instruction Set Computing; the smaller set of commands used by the PowerPC and Power Mac.

ROM - acronym for Read Only Memory; memory that can only be read from and not written to, usually used for CD-ROM disks that are read only and cannot have data written to it.

Root directory - Main hard drive window.

Save - Write a file onto a disk.

Save as – A file menu item used to save a previously saved file in a new location and/or with a new name.

Scroll – Shifting the contents of a window to bring hidden items into view.

Scroll bar – The bar at the bottom or right side of a window that contains the scroll box and allows for either up/down or left/right scrolling.

Scroll box - The box in a scroll bar that is used to navigate through a window.

SCSI - Small Computer System Interface.

SCSI address - a number between zero and seven that must be unique to each device in a SCSI chain. Fast and Wide SCSI devices will allow up to 15 SCSI Ids (hexadecimal); however, the length restriction (3 meters) is such that it is virtually impossible to link 15 devices together.

Serial port – A port or connection that allows data to be transmitted in a series, such as the printer and modem ports on a Mac.

Server – A main central computer dedicated to sending and receiving data from other computers on a network.

Shut down - the command from the Special menu that shuts down the Mac safely.

Software – Files and programs that contain instructions for a computer.

Spreadsheet – Software program, such as Windows Excel, designed to look like an electronic ledger.

Start up disk - The disk containing system software and is designated to be used to start the computer.

Start Menu – The menu from which all programs on a computer can be accessed that is located in the bottom menu toolbar of the computer screen.

Surge suppressor – Electrical power strip that has circuits designed to reduce the effects of surge in electrical power on a computer.

System file - A file in the System folder that allows the computer to start and run.

System folder – The all-important folder that contains at least the System file and the Finder.

Title bar - the horizontal bar at the top of a window, which has the name of the file or folder, it represents.

Upload - To send a file from one computer to another via a download.

UPS - Uninterruptible Power Source.

Virtual memory – A memory used on the computer hard drive as though it were RAM, specifically used for open or actively running programs.

VRAM - Dedicated video RAM (VRAM) that is memory, which usually comes with a graphics card (ATI Radeon, GeForce, etc.) and has its own memory in MB which includes 32MB, 64MB, 128MB and 256MB. VRAM is used by the video adapters inside the computer and only handles graphics and visuals. Important for gaming computers and media centers.